Portable toilets are simple portable enclosures containing a chemical toilet, i.e. a toilet bowl filled with disinfectant mixed with water. Portable toilets generally use a smell-reducing chemical in the holding tank, because the waste is stored in an open-air holding tank, visible and accessible by the user. The chemicals used can be environmentally harmful and difficult to dispose of in an environmentally friendly fashion. Furthermore, because portable toilets are not plumbed, they keep the waste inside the toilet structure, creating a hygiene issue. Further, the decay of waste within the open holding tank can lead to a sewage smell if the portable toilet is not cleaned properly or is overused.
Commonly, portable toilets are paired on trailers known commonly as a “toilet trailer”. However, this configuration has proven problematic, as most modern portable toilet waste tank designs have proven inadequate to deal with the common problem of splash-outs from the waste holding tank while being towed down bumpy roads.
Toilets having wall connection plumbing use a significant amount of water to flush the toilet. While convenient, in many areas of the world, water is a scarce resource, and traditional flushing can be very wasteful of such a precious resource. Further, wall plumbing is not always available. In these situations, portable toilets are a great alternative. However, portable toilets currently do not have a means for separating solid and liquid waste, nor is there a means to recycle liquids for reuse in flushing “luxury” portable toilets seen at wedding receptions and other more formal events. This deficiency necessitates more frequent waste disposal, and hence greater water consumption due to having to refill the holding tanks each time the waste is disposed of.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a portable toilet that is more hygienic and, less dependent on chemicals for odor control and allows for efficient maintenance, repair and disposal of waste. Further, there is a need for a portable toilet that reduces water consumption while providing the same quality of comfort and cleanliness as a standard plumbed toilet. Finally, there is a need for a means to reduce splash-out when transporting portable toilets. Among other results, bad management of human waste can cause life threatening diseases like cholera outbreaks in Haiti recently and in London in the mid 19th century.